Bolt Failed to come to complete stop in Low

[oilerlord]

Don't get me wrong, I actually like one-pedal driving. It's easy, and most of the time, I have no problem with it.

To your point, it concerns me to read threads like "Bolt failed to come to a complete stop". That suggests there is a technical problem with the car, beyond the scope of control the driver has over the vehicle. It scares me a little bit that drivers are lulled into a sense of security that they don't have to drive with a common-sense measure of situational awareness. In this case, GM answered the question, but was the OP legally bound to read the manual had an accident occurred?

 

[phil0909]

Don't get me wrong, I actually like one-pedal driving. It's easy, and most of the time, I have no problem with it.

To your point, it concerns me to read threads like "Bolt failed to come to a complete stop". That suggests there is a technical problem with the car, beyond the scope of control the driver has over the vehicle. It scares me a little bit that drivers are lulled into a sense of security that they don't have to drive with a common-sense measure of situational awareness. In this case, GM answered the question, but was the OP legally bound to read the manual had an accident occurred?

GM only partly answered the question. They pointed out that one pedal driving is disabled when the driver's seat belt is unfastened. But they did not explain WHY it is disabled. I have heard no satisfactory reason why a car should ever be designed this way.

It was a nasty surprise the first time I found one-pedal driving disabled, and there was no warning from the car. It is not good to have a car roll unexpectedly. It's only at 2 mph, so the danger is limited, but it is still dangerous. I'm just glad there was not a small child or an elderly person walking in front of my Bolt when I first discovered this 'feature'.

Why on earth would GM deliberately do this to their customers???

 

[BerkeleyBowlt]

Why on earth would GM deliberately do this to their customers???

It's to prevent you from wrongly thinking "the car isn't moving, so it must be in Park" when you get out, accidentally leaving it in "running" in Low.

The logic is that if your seat belt is unbuckled (allowing you to get out of the car), it will be 100% obvious to you that the car is not in Park, because it's slowly moving.

Whether the cure is worth than the disease is debatable.

 

[phil0909]

Why on earth would GM deliberately do this to their customers???

It's to prevent you from wrongly thinking "the car isn't moving, so it must be in Park" when you get out, accidentally leaving it in "running" in Low.

The logic is that if your seat belt is unbuckled (allowing you to get out of the car), it will be 100% obvious to you that the car is not in Park, because it's slowly moving.

Whether the cure is worth than the disease is debatable.

No, that's not it. When you open the driver's door, the Bolt automatically shifts to P and applies the parking brake. So the creeping while the seatbelt is unfastened adds zero safety, and instead adds danger if a distracted driver - say a mom with 3 little kids fighting in the back seat - exits anyway, not noticing the creep. She'll at least get a jolt as the brake slams on. And quite possibly, she'll have already hit the garage wall or a car parked in front, at 2 mph.

We can only guess, because GM has not told us the reason. My own guess is somebody at GM decided it would be a good idea to annoy us into keeping our seatbelts fastened. In fact, it isn't a good idea.

 

[oilerlord]

We can only guess, because GM has not told us the reason. My own guess is somebody at GM decided it would be a good idea to annoy us into keeping our seatbelts fastened. In fact, it isn't a good idea.

Phil, my guess is that people buying an all-new model car are beta-testers, and nice people like Amber hang out on forums like this one; noting what we like and what we don't like about the car.

 

[devbolt]

These sorts of concerns about creeping in Low with the seatbelt unfastened, or the car not holding on a decline while in Low, or hitting ice on the road is probably one (well several) reason(s) that Low is not the default mode of driving.

 

[BerkeleyBowlt]

No, that's not it. When you open the driver's door, the Bolt automatically shifts to P and applies the parking brake.

Hmmm, okay; is that 100% reliable? Even if so, I think the idea is to alert you to the fact that you're not in Park before you open the door, when you indicate that you're about to get out. I agree it probably is a misguided feature, though.

 

[gpsman]

I find on reasonably flat, the car holds still.
I find on reasonably steep hills, the car holds still.

On all those "gentle slopes" of about 2% to 4% slope the car will roll forward in L.

It's as if it is not steep enough to trip a "tilt sensor" but steep enough for gravity to make the car roll.

Which lead to reason there is a tilt sensor on board and not a "wheels are in motion" sensor.

 

[BerkeleyBowlt]

Quoting myself:

I think the idea is to alert you to the fact that you're not in Park before you open the door, when you indicate that you're about to get out.

After investigating this a little more this weekend, I find I was wrong, because if you have your seat belt on originally with the car in L, then unbuckle your seat belt, it does not start creeping forward. It still doesn't creep.

Rather, the "creeping forward in L when the seat belt is unbuckled" happens only if the seat belt was not fastened in the first place (at the time the car was shifted from Park to D or L).

And I confirmed that opening the door when the car is stopped, but in D or L, does reliably shift it to Park and apply the brake, as you said, with an Annoying Warning not to forget to put it into Park.

So: I dunno. Weird.

 

[gpsman]

I was stopped in L.
I took my seatbelt off so I could remove my jacket.
The car shifted into park.

No door was opened.

 

[ChevyCustomerCare]

We definitely appreciate everyone's commentary and feedback about this feature. Like oilerlord said, I am always here to gather your feedback, and help address your concerns as best as I possibly can. If anybody has any questions or concerns about "L" mode, or the vehicle operation of this mode in their specific Bolt EV, please feel free to send me a private message and let me know. I want to make sure I'm tailoring my responses to everyone's individual needs or inquiries.

Best Wishes,

Amber G.
Chevrolet Customer Care